Experimental Archeology and Refashioning Knowledge of the West: Learning about Gender, Labor, Cleanliness, and Community in the West through Recreating a Late 19th-Century Dress and Sharing It with the Public

This project seeks to recreate a late 19^thcentury silk dress held in the Cowboy Hall of Fame and Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Clothing speaks volumes about the wearer’s economic and social position; spatial and temporal location; their chosen and given identity; and their deeply held beliefs. Thus, recreating a highly personal item gives voice to women of the West, provides an opportunity to understand the culture of the frontier and American identity, and offers a tactile way to engage with the public and deepen their understanding of Oklahoma, the West, and gender history. Using diaries, sewing manuals, photographs, and garment analysis, this project will seek to recreate this dress with the utmost historical accuracy in materials and sewing methods. This poster will explore the process of experimental archeology and how it nuances researcher’s understandings of the past, but also its effectiveness in teaching public audiences. As this is a history of clothing, there will be several original garment images. The poster will also include images of the in-progress garment, including chemise, drawers, corset, outer dress, and accessories. Viewers will be allowed to touch fabric samples and see examples of hand sewing techniques.